The Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), part of the Directorate of Defense R&D (DDR&D) of the Israel Ministry of Defense, has delivered the first of two IRON DOME Defence System batteries to the U.S. Army. On this occasion, a symbolic event was held at the IRON DOME production line which is operated by contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. The event was conducted in the presence of delegates including:
- Israeli Defence Minister, Benny Gantz
- Minister of Economy, Amir Peretz
- Head of the DDR&D, Dr. Dani Gold
- Head of the IMDO, Moshe Patel
- Rafael Chairman, Dr. Uzi Landau
- Rafael CEO, Yoav Har-Even.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was conducted in accordance to regulations set by the Ministry of Health.
The U.S. and Israel signed an agreement for the procurement of two IRON DOME Defense System batteries (IDDS-A) in August 2019. The first battery was delivered in record time, and the second battery will be delivered in the near future within the framework of the agreement. These batteries will be employed in the defense of US troops against a variety of ballistic and aerial threats.
The IRON DOME system has been operational in Israel since 2011 and has demonstrated its outstanding capabilities with over 2400 successful interceptions of incoming threats. It is an integral part of Israel’s multi-layered defense array developed by the IMDO, which also includes: IRON DOME, DAVID’s SLING, ARROW-2 and ARROW-3 weapon systems.
Jack Richardson
